Opportunity Grant Guidelines and Reporting Requirements

Transcription

1 Opportunity Grant Guidelines and Reporting Requirements The beginning of this document contains guidelines and suggestions for applying for a grant. The end of the document outlines the requirements for managing your grant and final report if you receive an award. Grant Type Maximum Award Deadline Opportunity $1,000 Continuous (four weeks before program) Types of projects supported: Book festivals Conferences Exhibits Lectures Media projects Museum assistance Oral histories Panel discussions Planning for humanities programs Public debates Reading and discussion programs Workshops Other (to encourage innovation). Humanities Montana grant applications are electronic. We strongly suggest you consult with Humanities Montana staff before applying for any grant. You may address questions to Humanities Montana staff at any time, at or via to info@humanitiesmontana.org. Eligible grantees Nonprofits K-12 schools, Colleges, Universities Museums Libraries Historic preservation societies State or local government agencies Unions Business and professional groups Social service organizations Community, religious, or tribal groups Noncommercial media firms 1

2 Ad hoc groups All Humanities Montana-funded projects must have A central focus in the humanities A clearly defined theme Professional humanists involved in planning/executing No political advocacy Include a public program Publicity and evaluation plans where appropriateall applications for support of projects that involve Native American communities or cultures must demonstrate involvement of those communities or address why they are not involved. Humanities Montana cannot fund Projects that focus on personal instead of public concerns Non-public meetings of organizations (although Humanities Montana will consider funding programs open to the public but held in conjunction with a group's meeting) Construction, restoration, or operating expenses of existing organizations Equipment, property, or other capital purchases Museum or library acquisitions, except in unusual circumstances Lobbying or direct social action, or planning for direct action, or projects which advocate a particular course of action Projects that present a one-sided, uncritical treatment of an issue Projects that would raise funds for profit-making groups or for commercial purposes Meals or refreshments for an audience Alcoholic beverages or entertainment costs Candidates running for political office The Humanities Montana proposal review process awards grants on a competitive basis. Funding is limited. Humanities Montana s executive director and board chair review all Opportunity Grant applications. Decisions are within two weeks after receiving the application. Applicants are notified of Humanities Montana's decision in writing. Applications may be funded (in whole or in part) with or without conditions, returned for revision and/or resubmission, or rejected. Humanities Montana's return of an application for revision and resubmission does not assure approval of the revised application. Common reasons for rejecting an application include Humanities Montana's limited budget, insufficient detail, lack of substantial humanities content, inadequate participation of qualified humanities personnel, insufficient or restricted audience, advocacy or lack of balance in addressing issues, and insufficient budget detail or justification. The arts and humanities are not the same, which is why Montana is served by both an arts council and Humanities Montana. Arts programs usually focus on creation and performance. Humanities programs focus on the interpretive aspects of the arts: discussions about their historical or philosophical contexts, critical analyses of their methodology, lectures or films that look at the characteristics of different art movements or periods. Occasionally Humanities Montana grants modest amounts for performances when such activities are teamed with interpretations, such as when a play or dance is preceded or followed by a lecture or scholar-led discussion. 2

3 Repeat proposals are allowed. However, applicants should be aware, when they submit proposals for annual programs or repeat projects of essentially the same format, Humanities Montana expects a request for substantially fewer funds than for initial projects, and some innovation in the project. Other considerations include the following: In accepting a grant, the sponsor agrees to use grant funds in accordance with the Humanities Montana grant award letter and general grant provisions Grant funds may be spent only within the grant period for the purposes described in the proposal and for the items specified in the approved budget Suitable records and accounts of project expenditures must be maintained. You will need to send in copies of all your receipts at the end of the grant period All materials publicizing or resulting from grant activities must contain the appropriate acknowledgement of Humanities Montana support Rights to materials (scripts, films, television and radio programs, viewer and listener guides) will ordinarily remain with the grantee; any plan for future use or distribution of such materials must be submitted to the Humanities Montana for approval prior to implementation (unless Humanities Montana has provided less than 25% of total funding.) In addition, the grantee must assure Humanities Montana that utilization of material funded under a grant will be sought on the basis of maximum possible right for non-commercial use or distribution. Budget & Financial Reporting Requirements Opportunity grant applications do not require additional budget forms. The application will ask sponsoring organizations to enter how much they are requesting (up to $1,000), the cost of the entire project, and to explain what Humanities Montana funds will be used for and how figures were arrived at. You must submit receipts documenting all HM funds at the end of your grant period. Indirect costs, administrative costs, overhead, and general operating costs, are all terms for expenses incurred by organization through the execution of its day-to-day activities but which cannot be attached to a specific activity. They are the expenses that keep the lights on, give everyone a space to work and the equipment they need, pay for insurance, and manage financial transactions. Humanities Montana allows indirect cost requests of up to 10% of the total amount of the grant request. Humanities Montana funds may not be used to pay for capital purchases, liquor, entertainment, or food for audiences. Grant funds are limited and competition is tight. Applications which are over-budgeted are less likely to receive support. Application Requirements Please apply for all Humanities Montana grants using our online grant application forms. Instructions are included with each section. During the Grant Period Please acknowledge Humanities Montana funding in publicity and at public programs and events supported by the grant. 3

4 Grants awarded by Humanities Montana are largely provided with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Please write a letter to Montana s congressional delegation describing your granted project s impact on the local and/or statewide community. It helps to thank our U.S. representatives for recognizing the importance of Humanities Montana grants and their continued funding from appropriations to the Federal/State Partnership Program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Mail and addresses for the congressional delegation are available at a copy of your letter to Humanities Montana at info@humanitiesmontana.org. Obtain audience/participant counts to report at the end of the project. An important part of a successful program is meaningful evaluation. Provide evaluation forms for use by the audience, program personnel, and volunteers. Humanities Montana can provide examples of evaluation tools. Managing Finances 1) You are responsible for handling grant funds. All grant related expenses, income and in-kind contributions must be documented and reported at the end of the grant. Copies of all receipts must be filed with your final report. 2) Unless otherwise specified, upon receipt of the signed grant agreement Humanities Montana issues the check for your grant award to the name and address of the sponsoring organization. Your sponsoring organization must have a DUNS number, the capability to deposit this check and write checks against the deposited funds. Humanities Montana writes checks to sponsoring organizations on the 5th and 25th of each month. 3) Grant funds are provided, all or in part, by the National Endowment for the Humanities. NEH and other federal requirements, constraints, and certifications applicable to this agreement and these funds are found at the Humanities Montana Grants webpage under Required Federal Certifications. Grant funds may not be used for lobbying, capital/equipment purchase, liquor, or entertainment. 4) Grant funds may be expended only for grant project purposes and activities as set forth in the grant application and budget or as subsequently modified. A request for any budget modification must be made in writing and approved by Humanities Montana before any expenditures differing from the original grant award are paid from funds provided by Humanities Montana. The types of modifications which require approval include: Changes in project scope, purpose or activity Changes in the project director or other key professional personnel identified in the grant application Changes in any project budget line which exceed ten percent (10%) of the total budget, or five hundred dollars ($500.00) whichever is greater Changes which introduce or eliminate types or categories of expenditures Changes in duration of grant period (these changes must be submitted at least thirty (30) days prior to the termination of the grant period) Decreases in the level of cost sharing cash Decreases in the level of cost sharing in-kind 5) All project employees must have unemployment insurance and workers' compensation insurance. All state and local tax and employment laws, rules, and regulations applicable to employees paid from grant funds must be followed. All wages, fees, and non-employee compensation (e.g. honoraria) paid with grant funds must be reported to the appropriate local, state, and federal tax 4

5 authorities, as required by law. Project staff and resource people are not employees of Humanities Montana, but are employees of the grantee. 6) Unused grant funds at the end of the grant period must be returned to Humanities Montana. Final Reporting An online final report is due no later than 90 days after the grant period ends. However, we strongly recommend you submit your report immediately upon conclusion of your grant work. To access the final report, login to the same grants management system you use to apply for the grant. The web address is: You will receive an automatic reminder two weeks before the deadline. Failure to file the final report in a timely manner will disqualify your organization from receiving Humanities Montana grants and programs in the future. Requirements You will need to submit copies of all your receipts to Humanities Montana when you submit your final report. The receipts must show expenditure of all grant funds awarded. Any amount not accounted for in the receipts must be reverted to Humanities Montana by check at the close of the grant period. We strongly prefer grantees spend the entire amount awarded. You will also be asked to report on attendance numbers and demographics at your program(s), program type, and venue. We require a short, narrative evaluation of the project, digital photos if any are available, and promotion materials. You may preview the final report at any time after your grant is awarded. 5